LTC, for new grads?

[DedHedRN]

I am a new grad and I would like to eventually work in Home Health or Hospice. I have heard people say that you should not just jump right into these fields. I read somewhere that LTC is a good stepping stone into Home Health.

I would not mind working at a LTC facility, except for the awful horror stories I hear from new grads already employed at them. I also researched some near the area that I want to work, and saw that they all had numerous violations and scored one or two out of five stars. I have heard lots of talk about losing licenses and being reported to BRN for situations that arise from working at these places.

How often do RNs actually lose their licenses at these facilities? And if one did work there what is the best way to protect your license and keep your job?

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I think it depends where you work. I'm a new grad in LTC, and the facility is run well. I will also have the opportunity to work acute, since I am at a small hospital. In our facility, we end up caring for the acute patients right in LTC simply because there aren't enough beds in acute to ship them off there. So, it is overwhelming at times, but I learn a lot, and I will keep up many of my skills at this place. Plus, if you want to later work hospice, LTC may be a good place to start. The one thing though...you have to be able to function on your own much of the time in LTC, which is sometimes hard as a new grad. I'm fortunate. When I need help, I call one of the acute care nurses and they come to my unit. Good luck :)

[WillowNMe]

I might be missing something, but why not go directly into hospice? I graduate in May and have a job offer on the table from a Hospice company pending my exam.

[Simba&NalasMom, LPN]

When I did home health, there were a few LPNs who went into it as new grads. They seemed to do fine with the right training/orientation. As an LPN, if you work for a good HH agency, if you run into any difficulties, your RN case manager should be available to mentor you.

I'm an LPN and went into a nursing home as a new grad and it was a pretty big trial by fire; at least in HH you deal with one case at a time which is helpful.

[DedHedRN]

I am a new grad RN. I would love to just jump in a do Home Health, but I am not experienced.

But what I really want to know is, how common is it for RNs in LTC to lose licenses over the situations that they may be put in by their employers, or peer pressure from others to ignore the rules and regulations set down by the BRN?

I want to know how real of a danger this is, and how to avoid it. I am not about to go putting myself in a situation where I may lose my license. I have worked way way to hard to get this, and I intend to keep it.

[B52-H]

Definitely do your research on the facility/company and take a tour if possible. Inquire about duration and quality of the job orientation/mentoring. Nothing to gain from employment if it puts your license and all your hard work at risk.

I would say go with your gut feeling if you are on the fence about a particular opening. If you are not 100% confident that you can be successful there, move on. Usually just by touring a LTC you will get an immediate sense if it's a good place for a new graduate RN. Don't ignore any red flags you see and try somewhere else.